On this 15th day
of August, 1833, personally appeared before us, James Benn't and
John King, two of the Justices of the Peace in and for the County
aforesaid, Thomas Tart, a resident of Sampson County in the State of
North Carolina, aged 72 years, and who being first duly sworn
according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in
order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th
1832.

That he entered
the Service of the United States under the following named Officers
and served as herein stated:

That as near as he
can recollect, it was in the month of June, 1779, a draft was to
take place in the Company to which he belonged, for the term of nine
months; that the company was to furnish six men; that in order not
to stand a draft, the company made up two hundred dollars
Continental money to any one who would volunteer; that rather than
be drafted he took the money and volunteered under the command of
Capt. Wm. Williams; and that himself and what men were drafted from
the regiment rendezvoused at Windsor, Bertie County and remained
there about a week; and from Windsor they were marched to the town
of Halifax in Halifax County, but before they arrived at Halifax
they met some Continental Officers who took command of the militia;
that when they arrived at Halifax, there was a considerable army
stationed there; that he was placed in the Regiment commanded by
Colonel Hogan, and a Major Hogg, Captain Redding Blount and
Lieutenant Reuben Wilkinson; that they were there stationed as much
as three or four weeks; that they were marched from Halifax to go to
West Point Fort on the North River, and as he understood, to fill up
the Third North Carolina Regiment; that they marched under the
Command of the Continental Officers already named; that when the
Regiment got to New Kent County, Virginia, Lieutenant Wilkinson, as
he supposes, got a parole to visit his father in said county, and
took him (TART) along with him to wait on him;

After staying with
the father of Lieutenant Wilkinson some time, they went on after the
Army, but never overtook them till they got to West Point. They went
through Richmond, Fredericksburg, Alexandria in Va., Georgetown,
Baltimore, Philadelphia and Princeton, N. J. They stayed all night.
Lieutenant Wilkinson slept in a tavern and he slept in a cottage.
When they arrived at West Point they found their Regiment back of
the Fort on the Commons; that the regiment was there encamped in
their tents until the balance of their time of service expired; that
he believes there were several armies stationed about in that
country on the opposite side of the river and some were above them
on the river; that there was a large iron chain stretching across
the river as he understood to prevent the British shipping from
going up the river; that he never was in any battle; that nearly all
the time for which he volunteered he had to wait on his Captain and
Lieutenant in their tents -- until Lieutenant Wilkinson and a
Lieutenant Yarborough of another company fought a duel and
Lieutenant Wilkinson was wounded in the left arm; that he had to
attend him while under the doctor's care; they went up the river to
a town called New Windsor where there was a hospital, while there
under the Doctor, their time of service expired and the company
discharged and his commander that left home with him, big William
Natfood, John Hale, John Hogard, Patrick Hogard and Nathan Cobb
returned home to Bertie County, North Carolina without him; that his
Lieutenant told him to go to Philadelphia where he would find
Colonel Hogan who would give him discharge; when he got to
Philadelphia, he understood that Colonel Hogan was promoted to the
rank of General.

He ordered him
(Tart) to be inoculated immediately with the small pox, and sent to
the hospital in Philadelphia; that before he got well of the small
pox he was taken with the putrid fever; that his life was for some
time despaired of; that Doctor Jackson was principal and Doctor Reid
assistant Superintendent of the hospital; that when he was able to
leave the hospital, General Hogan wrote a Discharge and gave him,
and told him he might go home -- but being yet feeble and left
alone, he was at a loss what to do. He was told that he could get
employ on board a Letter of Marquee bound to the West Indies on a
trading voyage; he done so and went on board the ship Clay, formerly
called the Ship Liverpool.

They sailed from
the port of Philadelphia, and when they had left the capes of
Delaware, about three days, they captured an English Brig, laden
with supplies to the English Army at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and sent
her to Alexandria in Virginia· They sailed then to an island called
Eustatia or Saint Eustatia where they unloaded their tobacco and
stoves and loaded the ship with salt, and returned to the United
States. The ship was commanded by Captain Sterman Coulter and John
Douglass and Lieutenant Tanner A. Fisher. When we got as far as
Chester on the Delaware River, the ice prevented her going any
farther; that he went to Chester and worked with a shoemaker for his
victuals while he got his share of the prize money; when he returned
to his father's house in Bertie County, North Carolina, being absent
one year and ten months.

He hereby
relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the
presents and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of
this agency or any states other than only on that of the agency of
the State of North Carolina.